Semiautomatic or fully automatic slicing machines of this type are provided essentially with a rotating circular cutter blade, a reciprocating feed carriage receiving the product to be cut, a depositing device for the cut slices, consisting of a deflecting, a conveying and a knock-off device, as well as a movable stacking table (cf., e.g., DE-AS 19 6 069 and DE-PS 17 57 766).
The slices of the product which are cut off by the circular cutter blade are taken over onto the conveying device by means of the deflecting device, the conveying device being provided with a plurality of tensioned, belt-like conveyor chains which are equipped with needle-like tips, are parallel to one another and extend around two axes of deflection in horizontal direction in a chain frame.
The conveying device brings the slices of the cut product from the take-over position into the deposit position in a controlled movement and withdraws them from the tips in a circular, stopped movement with the aid of a rake-like knock-off device dipping between the conveyor chains in a rest position and deposits them on the table in a stacked or shingle-type arrangement in rows or over the entire surface (cf., e.g., DE-GM 77 04 685 and DE-PS 27 07 534).
Conveyor chains of the type described are known per se. They consist of a certain number of chain links bent out of nonrusting wire and connected together by bent loops, wherein these links are provided at specific intervals with entraining tips projecting vertically to the direction of conveyance, the cut product to be conveyed being speared on these tips and taken along to the place of deposit.
In the case of conveyor chains which have been in practical use for many years, the entraining tips are welded centrally onto the straight crossbars of the individual chain links vertically to the direction of conveyance.
This construction does, however, have the disadvantage that the welding process is complicated, necessitates a subsequent, chemical treatment of the surfaces and can lead to thermal stresses and undesired structural changes at the point of welding so that when subject to continuous stressing individual entraining tips can become detached or break off and remain in the cut product which can lead to injuries.
To avoid these disadvantages, a further development of this embodiment has, in the meantime, provided for the use of integral chain links which are known per se and are formed from a single piece of wire. A prior, known proposal along these lines (cf., e.g., DE-GM 91 03 801.4) does, however, have the disadvantage that it would be problematic from the point of view of production or bending technology, i.e. could be realized only with considerable tool resources, and has not so far led to any acceptable practical results with respect to its use.
The object underlying the invention is to avoid the disadvantages described and to propose chain links or conveyor chains which are satisfactory from the point of view of production and use, can be manufactured inexpensively and, in particular, treat the cut product with care.
The advantages achieved hereby will be explained at the end of the description of the embodiments for the sake of better understanding.